Centaurian Pastures
by albinotanuki
Summary: Cedric finds love where the legendary centaurs live.
1. Chapter 1

Basically, I thought of sort of doing an homage to _Fantasia_ during Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (the one with the centaurs of course).

Disclaimer: I do not own _Sofia the First_ or any of its characters.

* * *

Sofia and her friends, Jade and Ruby, hopped into the flying horse drawn carriage after Princess Amber, Princess Clio, and Princess Hildegarde waited for them.

"Thank you for inviting us to your picnic, Amber." said Sofia, "I can't wait to see the Centaurian Pastures."

"I hope we get to see some centaurs." said Jade.

"What ARE centaurs?" asked Ruby.

"They're creatures that are half human, half horse." explained Amber.

"You know, legend says that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, blessed the Cetaurian Pastures so that even the loneliest of hearts can find true love." said Jade.

"That's sounds so romantic." said Ruby.

"Well its a beautiful pasture as you'll soon see." said Clio.

Amber ordered for the carriage to take them to the pastures. The flying horses pulled the carriage until they were flying in the air. It didn't take long before the girls arrived at the Centaurian Pastures and when they did, they look out in awe.

The pastures were wide with many colors of pinks, oranges, greens, and blues. It look like something out of a romantic oil painting, and the plants that grew around looked like something you would see in an art nouveau stain glass.

"Wow. Its so beautiful." said Sofia.

"Its alright." retorted Princess Hildegarde.

"Come girls," said Amber, "Lets sit down and have some strawberry and cream cheese sandwiches."

"But I wanna see some centaurs." whined Ruby.

"We'll see them after we have our picnic." said Amber.

At that moment, an unexpected familiar face appeared.

"Mr. See-dric?" said Sofia in surprise.

"Wait, isn't that the guy you say always follows you everywhere, Sofia?" asked Jade.

"That's creepy." said Ruby.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sofia.

"Maybe he's here to find true love." said Ruby.

Jade and Ruby simultaneously "aww"ed at the thought of Cedric coming to the pastures to find love.

"Well hello to you too, girls." said Cedric, "Sorry I can't stay to chat; I'm just here to pick some magic herbs for my potions."

"Would one of them be a love potion?" asked Jade.

"Good bye, girls." said Cedric as he walked off, obviously not in the mood for idle talk from nosy children.

"You know, I think Cedric should have a girlfriend." said Ruby.

"There's no way he'd find one interested in him." said Hildegarde.

"Well that's a pretty coldhearted thing to say." said Jade.

"I'm just stating fact." said Hildegarde, "No one wants to be in love with a bumbling sorcerer."

Cedric overheard the princess's remark. Her words were indeed biting, but he tried shrugging it off and walked off to gather his herbs.


	2. Chapter 2

Cedric was busy picking all sorts of herbs for his potions. He picked lilac, bleeding hearts, narcissus, orchids, lilies; he had most of the plants he needed for his potions. Suddenly at the corner of his eye, he found the one plant he needed.

Aphrodite's kiss. It had flowing vines with ivy shaped leaves coming from its stem and the petals were shaped like a pair of red lips puckered for a kiss. Cedric reached over with his fingerless gloved hand when suddenly, his hand touched another that was much more slender then his.

Cedric looked in front to see two pairs of hooves attached to the body of a red roan horse that almost looked pink, but where Cedric expected to see a horses head, instead, he found the upper body of a young lady. Her skin has a pink blush tint that made her glow. Her face had a soft roundness to it with rosebud lips and violet doe eyes under a mane of strawberry blonde hair.

After pausing for a moment, Cedric picked the Aphrodite's kiss. He was about to add it to his collection when he saw the look on the centaur's face as if she had wanted the flower. Cedric wanted the flower for himself, but looking into the centaur's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to keep it, so he gave the flower to the centaur and for some odd reason, he decided to give away the rest of his flowers.

"Just take the whole bouquet."

Cedric then started to walk off.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?" said Cedric turning back around.

"No one's ever given me a gift like this. Its really nice."

"Well I... WAS going to use them for potions, but you looked like you could use them more."

The two were silent for a moment.

"Do you have a name?" asked the centaur.

"Cedric."

"Mine's Agape."

All of a sudden, the girls from earlier walked over. Sofia, Jade, and Ruby saw Agape and gasped in awe.

"So pretty." said Ruby eyeing the centaur.

"See? Isn't this a better idea to go look for centaurs now then later?" asked Jade.

"Eh. We've seen centaurs before." said Amber.

"I see you and Mr. See-dric have just met." said Sofia walking over to Agape.

"Just so you know, its 'Said-ric'. I don't like my name being mispronounced." said Cedric to Agape.

"I'll keep that in mind." said Agape.

"Miss centaur lady, may we have a ride on your back?" asked Ruby.

"Why Sure." smiled Agape.

The girls cheered and each took turns to ride Agape.


	3. Chapter 3

Several days had passed since meeting Agape at the Centaurian Pastures. Cedric couldn't focus on his work and would have his spells literally blow up in his face; not that it didn't often happen when he cast spells, but somehow after meeting Agape, things had been getting a little more frustrating. Cedric then decided he would go back to the pastures to see her again.

Cedric walked into the pastures when he finally found Agape picking herbs. Agape looked up and saw Cedric.

"Oh, hello See—oops, I mean Cedric. Sorry."

"It's alright." said Cedric. "I've been thinking about you lately and I... decided to bring you this."

Cedric presented Agape a small flower pot with an aloe plant growing inside.

"Oh thank you; this is just what I needed." said Agape taking the aloe. "Would you like to see what I do with these plants?"

"Umm... sure." said Cedric.

Cedric followed Agape into a small cave where several woodland creatures awaited her.

"I'm back everyone."

The animals were excited to see their centauride friend's return. Agape went over to a small unicorn foal, broke off a tip of the aloe Cedric gave her, and rubbed the sap on the foal's frog inside of its hoof.

"There. That'll help with your blister."

The unicorn foal licked Agape's cheek as if to say "thank you."

"Well, that's quite the job you have." said Cedric.

"So you're a potion maker. I'm sure your work is well appreciated." said Agape.

"Well, yes... sort of... no."

"Why not?" asked Agape.

"I don't know." said Cedric, "Every time I make a potion or cast a spell for the king, they never turn out the way I wanted them to. I just get so nervous. I guess its just as well; no one loves a bumbling sorcerer."

Agape felt a little sorry for Cedric. She then walked over to him and took his fingerless glovedhand.

"Cedric, I already like you the way you are. Even if you weren't a great sorcerer, I would still like you."

Cedric blushed wildly. He never received a compliment like that in his life.

"Well, since you've shown me what you do for a living, perhaps you'd like to come to Enchancia and see where I work."

"I'd like that." Agape smiled.

Cedric smiled a little as well. Was he actually asking the centaur out on a date? Either way, for the first time in quite a while, he felt happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Cedric lead Agape up the stairs of his tower. Agape had a little trouble climbing up the stairs and kept tripping over her hooves.

"Sorry. I'm not use to climbing stairs."

"Its alright, I sometimes trip on the stairs as well." said Cedric.

They finally got up the stairs. Cedric took out a key from a secret compartment and opened the door.

"Welcome to my workshop." said Cedric.

Cedric's pet raven squaked

"Oh a raven." said Agape, "I love ravens; they're so intelligent."

"His name is Wormwood." said Cedric, "I've had him since he was a chick."

"Well he's very handsome, just like his owner." said Agape as she petted the raven.

"Thank you." Cedric blushed.

Agape then looked over at Cedric's lab equipment.

"Is this where you make your potions?" asked Agape.

"It is." said Cedric.

"I might need some of this for my medicine. What kind of potions have you been working on?"

"Well lately, I've been trying to make a potion that would turn mercury into drinkable water. Nearly killed myself twice while trying to perfect it."

Agape was a bit shocked hearing about this from Cedric.

"May I look at the recipe for that potion?"

Cedric was a little unsure as to why Agape wanted to look at the recipe, but he handed the book to her anyways.

Agape looked at the ingredients to the potion and came up with an idea.

"I think I have an extra ingredient that might help with your potion."

Agape then reached into her satchel and pulled out some dried mushrooms.

"Oh no! I've stayed away from mushrooms ever since I accidentally turned myself into one!" Cedric protested.

"But the mushrooms might help to absorb the poison. If you just strain them after mixing the potion in with the mercury, it might help make it more drinkable."

Cedric was reluctant to use the mushrooms, but perhaps what Agape had suggested might work. He concocted another batch of the potion, added it to the mercury along with the mushrooms Agape gave him. After letting the mushroom absorb the poison, he strained them and took a drink of the water that had been created from the potion.

"Well, my brain doesn't feel like its on fire. That's a good sign."

"Let me have some." said Agape, "If you die from this, then I don't want you to die alone. After all, I'm the one who gave you the mushrooms."

"Very well." said Cedric as he poured her a glass, "A toast to our friendship."

They rank together and neither one of them died.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days had passed since Cedric showed Agape his workshop. Cedric had been off on his usual work gathering weeds from the castle garden for his potions. As he was picking some nightshade flowers, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Cedric!"

Cedric turned around to see Agape galloping towards him holding a unicorn foal in her arms.

"Cedric, I need your help. This poor unicorn has gotten very ill. I've tried everything I could with my knowledge of medicine to help him, but nothing seems to work."

Cedric looked at the unicorn. The foal did seem to look sick with raspy breathing and very lathergic. Simply touching him with the tip of his fingers, Cedric could tell the unicorn had a fever.

"Stay right here." said Cedric, "I have a potion that might be able to help."

Cedric ran inside up his tower, tripping occasionally, until he got to his workshop. He went through his potions bag until he found the vial he needed. He then went downstairs and ran over to Agape.

"Here." he said presenting her with the potion, "Its a special medicine made from bread mold. I know it sounds discusting, but trust me, it works."

Agape looked at the vial of potion. It was a strange moldy blue color and she was unsure to use it, but she realized she had no other choice if she wanted to save the unicorn. She took the vial from Cedrics hand and poured the potion into the little unicorn's mouth.

The little unicorn repulsed at the taste of the potion, but luckily, it was perking up.

"I think its working." said Agape.

Agape wrapped an arm around Cedric. Cedric blushed wildly. Aside from Princess Sofia, he had never received such an embrace after saving someone's life before.

Cedric cleared his throat.

"He should get better within a day."said Cedric, " Also, if you have moldy bread lying around, don't throw it out."

"Thank you so much." Agape smiled.

Cedric watched as the centaurid walked off. A strange pitter patter was bursting in his chest. It seemed the more he got close to Agape, the more he wanted her. He had to see her again.


	6. Chapter 6

Cedric went back to the Centaurian Pastures once more, hoping to see Agape once again. When he couldn't find Agape in her grotto, he went on searching until he came and found her bathing in a lake.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you!" said Cedric, looking away.

Agape looked to see Cedric near the ege of the lake, blushing like mad.

"Its alright; I was just about to get out."

Agape stepped out from the lake, dried herself off by shaking her withers, and put her top back over her petite (though not flat) breasts.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Well, yes. Not for any emergency or favors. I just... well... Oh Merlin's Mushrooms."

Cedric blushed wildly. He never felt so nervous since he had to cast spells for the king. Agape could tell there was something about Cedric that made him want to come and see her again. She lay her horse body down on the ground and motioned to Cedric to lie down with her. Cedric blushed more, but came by and lay his head on Agape's horse's back.

"I use to come here a lot as a filly." said Agape, "I didn't really fit much within my heard, so I would come here to think."

"You didn't fit in?"

"Not really. I was a bit shy and wasn't as wild and precocious as the other centaurides."

"Sounds familiar to my childhood." said Cedric, "Ever since I was a lad, I was always picked on for not being as good a sorcerer as my father. King Roland especially would remind me of how unlucky I was; not being strong, or good looking as he was. He's also never forgiven me for not being able to save his queen."

"Were you and the queen close?" asked Agape in intrigue.

"Well I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved her, but unfortunately for me, well..." Cedric looked down in pain and guilt, "She got sick after giving birth to Prince James and Princess Amber and I was instructed to create a potion to save her life, but nothing worked. I'm just a failure at everything."

Agape felt a twinge in her heart hearing those words come from Cedric's mouth.

"You helped save that unicorn foal's life. That's something." Agape smiled, "You also got somebody to love you."

Cedric looked up with surprise. Did she really mean it? Did she really love him? Cedric looked into Agape's violet eyes that kept sucking him. Without much thought, Cedric leaned in closer until their lips met.

Pulling away, Cedric, and even Agape, blushed, but neither one of them felt any embarrasment in kissing one another. Instead, there was bliss.


End file.
